


Truck Buddies

by drisles



Category: Rizzoli & Isles
Genre: AU, College, F/F, Friendship, Humor, Rizzles, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-06
Updated: 2015-03-06
Packaged: 2018-03-16 15:34:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 19,770
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3493598
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/drisles/pseuds/drisles
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU. College Rizzles. A weekend trip involving a red pickup truck.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

"Shit," Jane mutters under her breath as she exits the classroom.

"Did it not go well?" Maura asks from the bench she has been occupying for the past half hour.

"It was awful, Maur," Jane sighs and plops herself down on the bench, swinging her feet up to lay horizontally. Resting her head in Maura's lap, she looks up.

"I don't understand, Jane. I've been helping you study for this exam all week. And what about last night? Our three hour power session?"

"Yeah, well..." Jane's sentence trails off as she steals a glance at her friends chest, "I was distracted."

"Distracted?" Maura asks as she starts to run her fingers through Jane's hair. "By what?"

"Um..." Jane was finding it incredibly difficult to focus with Maura's hands rubbing at her scalp. "I was distracted by, um," she chances another look at Maura's chest, "Anatomy."

Maura's eyebrows wrinkle in confusion.

"Anatomy? But you're not even taking that class."

"Yeah, well..." Jane says as she sits up, needing to distance herself from all the touching, "Maybe I'm thinking about it."

"Really?!" Maura's eyes light up with excitement. "Oh, Jane that would be wonderful! The human body is truly fascinating. And I could help you!"

Jane's mind instantly flashes to more demonstrative ways of learning about anatomy with her best friend; she feels her cheeks color, "Uh, yeah, well we'll see. I haven't picked my classes for next semester yet."

"Well you will have to let me know. I'm quite the expert when it comes to the human body."

_Yeah I bet you are_ , Jane thinks to herself,  _in more ways than one._

Instead of responding Jane leans forward, rests her head in her hands and exhaustedly rubs at her face.

"I'm just glad that was my last exam for the week and it's a three day weekend. Speaking of," she pauses to glance back at Maura who is packing up her bag, "Are you still going to your mom's show this weekend?"

"No, actually. A few of her installation pieces are stuck in Paris, so she had to postpone the opening."

"So you don't have plans?"

"Other than getting ahead on some reading assignments, no."

"Well, a few girls from the field hockey team are driving up to Rockport for the weekend. Kate's family owns a house on Sandy Bay, I think it is. I know it's not really warm enough anymore for the beach, but it will be nice to get away. Wanna join us?"

In her nervous habit, Maura used both hands to tuck her hair behind her ears. "That sounds lovely, but I don't want to intrude if it's a team bonding thing."

"What? Oh, no it's not a team thing, I mean there will be a few girls from the team, but everyone's bringing boyfriends, girlfriends, um, you know friends and stuff. It's like an open invite thing. A lot of people are going."

Maura looks down at her lap and starts picking at her fingernails.

"Are you sure?" she asks.

"Yes! I won't have any fun if you're not there. I want you to come with me."  _God do I want you to come with me._

"Well," Maura begins, "if you're sure it's ok, I'd love to come with you."

_Fuck_. "Great! We're thinking about leaving early tomorrow morning. Wanna just pack a bag and stay over at my place tonight?"

"Okay," Maura says with a hint of excitement in her voice.

"Perfect. I'll text Kate and tell her to pick us up in the morning at my apartment."

Jane pulls out her phone and starts typing out a message to her friend before helping Maura up from the bench. The two exit the building with a sense of freedom washing over them.

"It shouldn't take me long to pack. Shall I just come over once I'm finished? I can grab some dinner on my way?"

"Sounds perfect, but I can grab the food. One less thing for you to carry. I know you're not the lightest packer," Jane teases.

"Very funny," Maura responds playfully and pinches Jane's side.

"I'll see you in an hour or so," Maura says as they part ways, "And Jane?"

"Yeah?" Jane responds with a look over her shoulder.

"Thank you. For inviting me, I mean. I... I really appreciate it."

"Of course, Maur."

Jane smiles at her friend and turns to head home.

xxx

A few hours later, bellies full of Chinese food, Jane and Maura find themselves snuggled up on Jane's futon watching a movie.

"I can't believe you like this movie. It's so weird! Maur?"

Jane looks over at her friend who is slumped against the edge of the futon, sound asleep.

Laughing at the sight, Jane turns off the TV and reluctantly moves to wake up her friend, not wanting her to wake in the morning with a kink in her neck.

"Maur," she whispers and gently nudges her friend's shoulder.

"Hmmph," Maura grumbles.

"Come on, I just wanna move you to the bed alright? And then you can go right back to sleep."

"Fine," Maura replies sleepily as Jane helps her stand up and walk the short distance to her bed.

"Come on sleepyhead," Jane teases as she instructs Maura to get in under the covers. "There we go," she says and tucks in her friend.

Jane turns to head back to the futon when Maura's hand reaches out and grabs her wrist, "Where are you going?" She asks, suddenly wide awake.

"The couch, I wanted you to have the bed."

"Well that's not fair," Maura states. "We can share."

"Uh, have you seen the size of my bed, Maur? It's a twin!"

"So? Come on," Maura says as she scoots over until her back hits the wall. She pats the small space next to her. "See? Plenty of room."

Jane hesitates. "You sure? I don't want to kick you or anything."

"Just get in already," Maura says as her eyelids slip shut.

"Don't say I didn't warn you," Jane replies, finally settling herself down beneath the blanket.

She wouldn't be getting any sleep tonight. Not with her beautiful best friend in such close proximity.

xxx

After a few hours of trying to fight it, Jane finally falls asleep.

Minutes before her alarm is set to go off, she is woken up by a tickle to her nose. Confused, she opens her eyes to find golden locks of hair draped around her neck and face. It was then she felt the weight pressing down on her chest and one of her legs.

Maura.

Taking a moment to enjoy the feeling of her friend pressed against her and the ticklish exhales against her neck, Jane gently brings her hand up to stroke Maura's hair, both to get it out of her own face and to selfishly touch that gorgeous hair.

The action causes Maura to stir and shift her body, unintentionally rubbing Jane in the wrong (or incredibly right) way.

Jane lets out a frustrated groan at the movement, which seems to officially wake up Maura.

"Oh!" Maura gasps, pushing herself up on her hands, hovering above her friend. "Jane I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to sleep on top of you. I should've warned you...I tend to gravitate towards warm bodies in bed with me," she says, blushing.

Jane chuckles as she watches Maura's chin tilt down, embarrassed.

"Good to know," she says and Maura once again tilts her head to make eye contact with Jane.

"You're not mad?"

"Mad? What? Why would I be mad at you for snuggling with me?"

Maura opens her mouth to respond, but is at a loss for words.

"I'll let you in on a little secret," Jane whispers and Maura, without realizing, leans in close to hear her, "I really love cuddling."

"Good to know," Maura smirks, proud of herself for using a line Jane had said moments earlier.

It was then that Jane realizes the position they are in; how intimate it is. Her eyes search Maura's face before landing on her lips. God did she want to kiss her, but before any further action could be made, a loud knock on the door startles them both.

"Come on ladies, don't keep my baby waiting!" Kate yells from the other side of the door.

"Baby?" Maura asks, clearly confused.

As gently as possible, Jane slips out from underneath Maura to quickly get ready. Laughing, she answers Maura's question, "That's what she calls her red pickup truck."


	2. Chapter 2

"I, uh, guess I shoulda mentioned it was gonna be a tight squeeze," Jane says nervously as she helps Maura into the truck.

"It's fine, Jane. I mean I was on top of you this morning, I think I can handle sitting close to you for, what, an hour?"

Kate tries to muffle a laugh as she hops in the drivers seat. Once settled, she turns to her passengers and asks, "Ready?"

Kate smirks at Jane who glares at her from her spot in the middle before turning to look at Maura who smiles sweetly.

"Thank you for offering to drive, Kate. And for picking us up. It's very nice of you."

"No problem at at all, Maura. I'm glad you could join us. Although, fair warning, these weekend trips can get pretty wild," she says, turning on the ignition and pulling out onto the main road.

Jane looks to Maura who noticeably tenses at Kate's comment. "It'll be fine, Maur. I promise," she says as she reaches out to squeeze her friends thigh in reassurance, "Kate's just being an idiot."

"Um, excuse me, Jane Rizzoli? Do you not remember what happened last time? When you-mmpf."

Jane silences her with a hand to the mouth.

"Just drive."

The rest of the car ride is uneventful until Kate has to make a hard break and Maura instinctively reaches out to grab onto Jane. A totally innocent gesture that ends with her hand on Jane's thigh.  _Squeezing_  Jane's thigh. She leaves it there for the remainder of the trip.

Jane, with all her self control, spends the entire ride resisting the urge to direct that hand  _exactly_  where she needs it to be. She has to admit though, it was nice. It was really fucking nice to be sitting so close (thigh to thigh) to her best friend who is unintentionally touching her very intimately.

And the smell, god the smell.

The windows are rolled down and halfway into the drive Maura rested her head on Jane's shoulder. The breeze causes that uniquely Maura scent to fill Jane's nostrils.

It was equal parts torture and pleasure.

xxx

An hour or so later they arrive at their destination. Almost. Most of the group wasn't set to arrive until later that evening, so Kate took the opportunity to show Maura and Jane around town. They walk down the quaint streets, stop at a little candy shop and enjoy a long lunch at a popular lobster shack.

Maura licking the butter off her fingers is a sight Jane would have burned in her memory for years. A memory that would certainly come in handy when she was, well, being handy...with herself.

After lunch, the trio makes a trip to the local market, stocking up on an insane amount of food for the weekend. Much to Maura's disapproval, it mostly consists of junk food. She does manage to sneak in a container of hummus, pita chips and veggies. Small victory.

Next stop: alcohol. So. Much. Alcohol.

Maura quickly realizes that this trip might not be the relaxing getaway she had imagined.

xxx

By mid afternoon they arrive at Kate's family beach home. Jane hops out of the truck and grabs her and Maura's backpacks while Kate and Maura carry in the multiple bags of groceries.

"Your home is beautiful," Maura says as they enter the kitchen.

"Why thank you. I wish I could take credit for it, but I was just born into the right family," Kate teases.

"Well it's lovely just the same. It was very nice of you to invite us."

"You are too sweet, Maura. It's really no problem at all. I hope you enjoy your weekend here," Kate says as she puts the last of the grocery bags on the counter.

"Why don't you two go pick a room and just relax, do whatever. I'll unpack and get things set up for later."

"Oh, we couldn't possibly let you do all the work," Maura says and turns to Jane, "Right Jane?"

"Uh," Jane looks from Maura to Kate, "Yeah, right. Let us help you, Kate."

"Jane Rizzoli helping out in the kitchen? Psh, yeah right. It's fine, Maura, really. If you go up the set of stairs, you'll you find the bathroom on the left, my room, my parents room, and there's three rooms on the right filled with bunk beds. You two are lucky to get first pick. Now go, shoo," Kate says, shoving them both out of the kitchen.

xxx

"Are you a top or bottom?"

"Excuse me?" Jane replies, nearly tripping on her way up the stairs.

"I said, do you prefer the top or the bottom?" Maura asks, confused by Jane's confusion. They enter the first room.

"Bunk beds? Do you want to be on top? Or the bottom?"

"Oh! Um, I'm usually on top… I mean, what?" Jane clears her throat. "For bunk beds, that is, I usually get the top bunk."

"Oh good, I prefer the bottom," Maura says happily as she sets her bag down on the bunk and beings unpacking her things. Completely oblivious to her unintended innuendo.

This woman is going to kill her.

"So," Jane says as she watches Maura put the last of her things in the small dresser, "The rest of the group won't get here for another hour or so, and um, I was wondering if you'd like to go out back? Check out the beach? I know it's a little chilly, but the view is pretty breathtaking."  _Not as breathtaking as you, though._

Maura turns to face Jane with a bright smile, "I would love that."

"Really?" Jane says with more excitement than is necessary.

"Of course, Jane. I think that sounds like a lovely way to spend the afternoon."

"Great," Jane smiles. "Let me just…" her voice trails as she searches through her bag for a long sleeve shirt and sweatshirt, "Ah-ha!"

Without thinking, she pulls off her t-shirt and changes into warmer clothes.

Maura, who is sitting on the edge of the bottom bunk, can't help but admire the body in front of her. Jane's small chest covered by a black sports bra, the tight muscles of Jane's abs flexing as she reaches for her shirt. Maura has to admit, her best friend is very,  _very_  attractive.

Jane slips on her sweatshirt and makes eye-contact with Maura, who quickly looks away. She's blushing.

 _Oh my god. Was Maura checking me out?_ Jane asks herself,  _No. There's no way._

"I think I have an extra sweatshirt in here, if you want?" Jane asks, choosing to ignore the color on Maura's face.

Maura brought a sweatshirt of her own, but the thought of being wrapped in something of Jane's is too much to pass up.

"Yes, please," she replies.

"Here," Jane says, pulling out an old Red Sox sweatshirt, "It's not very cute, but it's warm."

Maura quickly pulls the item over her body and smiles as the scent fills her nose. She smiles.

"What?" Jane asks with a smile of her own.

Maura looks up quickly. "Oh," she says nervously, "It's just… it smells like you. And I don't know, I find that comforting for some reason."

Jane can't help but grin, "Oh yeah? What do I smell like?"

"You know," Maura says as they exit the room, "I've been trying to come up with an accurate description, but all I can come up with is simply… you. The smell is you. Which sounds so silly, but-"

Maura os cut off by Jane's laugh. She turns to her, a hint of hurt on her face.

"No, no," Jane says quickly, grabbing Maura's arm, "I wasn't laughing at you, it's just… that's what I think about you, too. I mean, your scent. Gah" Jane says, "That sounds weird, it's just, I've noticed. Like, today in the car, I kept getting a whiff of your shampoo and it's just very… nice. You smell nice." Jane rolls her eyes at how lame she sounded.

Maura just smiles. "Thank you."

"Alright, come on," Jane says, leading them down the stairs, "Enough of this. Let's go to the beach."

The two pass Kate in the kitchen and Jane says, "I'm gonna show Maura the back, let us know when the rest of the crew gets here?"

"Sure thing," Kate replies, "Have fun."

xxx

"Wow," Maura whispers as Jane leads them down the beach, "This is beautiful."

"So are you."

"What?"

_Oh my god, did I say that outloud?!_

"Um, I said… uh… I said you're right, it's beautiful."

Maura stares at her for a moment before returning her attention to the view in front of her.

"Wanna go sit by the water?" Jane asks.

"Sure."

The two walk barefoot through the cool sand until they reach the edge of the water and Jane lays out the blanket she grabbed on their way out.

She gestures for Maura to take a seat before sitting next to her.

xxx

"Will you look at those two," Kate says to a few of the girls who just arrived.

"Who?" Morgan ask.

"Rizzoli and Isles. Come here, look," she said, pointing out the window.

"Oh my god," Morgan replies as she watches Jane wrap an arm around Maura.

"Think she's gonna finally try to make a move this weekend?" Jess asks.

"I fucking hope so," Morgan says, "Rizzoli's got it bad."

"I don't know," Kate replies, "I mean, I don't think she's even told Maura."

"Told her what? That she wants to bang her?" Jess questions.

They all laugh.

"No," Kate says, "I don't think she's even told her that she's gay."

"What?!" the two respond in unison.

"Right?"

"Damn. This is gonna be an interesting weekend."

xxx

Meanwhile, Jane and Maura are sitting in a comfortable silence, happy to just be near each other and to watch the water.

Well,  _Maura_  watches the water. Jane is too distracted by the woman sitting next to her. She thinks she's being discreet as she watches Maura's hair get tangled by the cool breeze and the corners of her mouth turn up slightly. God she was beautiful.

"You're staring," Maura whispers.

"It's hard not to."

The comment prompts Maura to turn her head and look at Jane. Her face displays a mix of surprise and something Jane can't quite name.

_Shit. Shit, shit, shit. You need to get your filter under control, Rizzoli!_

"I… shit, I'm sorry, Maur. I don't know why I said that."

Maura's eyebrows knit together in confusion.

"I mean… ugh," Jane sighs and looks away, "Sorry, I know why I said that, I mean, hello, look at you. I just…"

Jane is so flustered that she doesn't realize that Maura has moved closer until she feels her shoulder bump against her own.

The touch causes her to look back up at Maura who is staring at her intently.

"Jane," she says, barely above a whisper. Maura rests her hand on Jane's thigh and leans closer.

"Maur," Jane whispers, looking at her friend's lips.

Just an inch closer and…

"Yo, Rizzoli!" A guy's voice calls out, "Come help us setup for beer pong! No way you're winning again this year!"

The noise startles them both and Maura quickly distances herself from Jane.

 _Shit_.

An interesting weekend, indeed.


	3. Chapter 3

"I'm sorry," Jane says quietly as they both get up from their spots on the blanket.

"Why are you apologizing?" Maura asks, clearly confused.

"I… don't know. The moment just seems in need of an apology," Jane says, running her fingers through her hair. Frustrated.

Maura folds up the blanket and takes Jane's offered hand to help her stand. She hugs the blanket close to her chest and smiles weakly at her friend.

"Come on," Jane says, heading back towards the house and to the guy calling her name.

Once they approach the group of new faces, Jane hugs the guy in the green t-shirt. Maura frowns. She isn't sure why she has that reaction to seeing her friend hug someone, so she instead pushes the thought to the back of her mind and does her best to smile.

After the embrace, Jane turns to look at Maura. "Maura, this is Cam, Kate's older brother. Cam, this is Maura, my best friend."

"It's very nice to meet you," Maura replies, holding out her hand.

"You too," he says, shaking Maura's hand in greeting.

"I don't know who the rest of these losers are," Jane teases, "Cam, go ahead."

"These losers," he beings, "Are some of my buddies." He points to each one, "That's Patrick, Kevin, Chris and Brody."

Maura nods politely and smiles, "Nice to meet all of you."

"Everyone else here?" Jane asks Cam as she steps closer to Maura.

"Yup, just got here. They're all inside… starting to look like a mad house in there."

"Why am I not surprised," Jane says with a laugh, "I always think these weekends are going to be so relaxing and they just turn into a shit show."

"Pretty much," Cam agrees, "So come on, Beer Pong Queen, how about a rematch?"

"In your dreams," she replies, punching him in the shoulder.

He continues to stare at her.

"Ugh, fine! Lead the way," she says as they all turn to head back inside.

Maura was just about to push open the door when Jane gently pulls her back by the arm.

"Hey," Jane says softly, looking directly into Maura's eyes, "I just wanna warn you, there's gonna be a lot of people in there, I just… I don't want you to feel overwhelmed, alright? I know it's hard for you to meet new people, especially when there's so many."

Maura smiles up at Jane, grateful to have such a wonderful friend. A friend who completely understands her.

"Thank you, Jane," Maura replies with a hint of emotion in her voice. "That's very kind of you."

Despite her efforts, Maura starts to feel wetness form in the corner of her eyes.

"Aw, Maur, don't cry" Jane says sweetly and reaches up to wipe away the one tear that managed to escape.

"I know, I know. I'm sorry. I don't know why I'm getting so emotional right now," Maura laughs, "I'm very grateful to have you as a friend."

"The feeling is mutual," Jane says and pulls Maura into a warm embrace. Without thinking, she kisses the top of her head.

"Ready?" She asks as she pulls back.

Maura nods and opens the door. Smiling huge as she feels Jane's hand on the small of her back, leading her through the kitchen.

Maura stops dead in her tracks when she sees all the people. Jane wasn't kidding, there were a lot of people here.

Feeling the tension in Maura's back, Jane leans in from behind and whispers in her ear, "I'm right here, Maur. You'll be fine."

In addition to the five guys Maura met outside, she is soon introduced to half of Jane's team, a few of their boyfriends, Margo, whom she had met previously, her girlfriend Liz and a sea of new faces. There had to be at least twenty people roaming around.

"Just breathe," Maura felt Jane whisper in her ear, "You won't be tested on names."

"Thank god," Maura laughs.

"Come on," Jane says, "Let's get a drink."

xxx

A few hours later, Maura seems to calm down a bit. The alcohol certainly helps calm her nerves, but she still feels a bit overwhelmed. Her senors are on overload; college parties tended to do that to her, which is why she had only been to a select few over her years at BCU.

She glances around the room to see a couple making out on the couch, some people dancing to the loud music blaring through the house speakers, Margo, Liz and a few faces whose names Maura can't remember eating leftovers in the kitchen, and the rest of the group out on the deck playing a game of beer pong, Jane included. Jane was hesitant at first, but Maura insisted, claiming she would be fine on her own for a little while.

And she was, but then one of Cam's very drunk friends starts dancing with her, which os fine, fun even. That is until one of his hands creeps a little too low, the other a little too high. Maura quickly removes herself from the situation and locks herself in the bathroom.

She just needs a moment to breathe; a moment to herself. A moment to process everything that happened tonight; a moment to process everything she learned during that game of 'Never Have I Ever.'

Maura hadn't been in the bathroom more than five minutes when she hears frantic knocking on the door.

"Just a minute," she yells.

"It's me," a familiar voice calls.

"Jane?"

"Yeah, can I come in? Please?"

A second later, Maura unlocks the door and Jane quickly enters the small space.

"Hey," Jane says as Maura leans against the sink, "You alright?" She asks and goes to stand next to Maura, bumping her shoulder with her own.

Maura nods.

"Are you sure? Margo said she saw that douchebag Kevin feeling you up, I swear to god I will punch his lights out if he did anything else to you. I wanna cut his balls off just for touching you."

"Jane," Maura says, reaching out to grab Jane's hand, "I'm fine, really. This is all just… a lot to take in. I just needed a minute."

"If you're sure," Jane says quietly, squeezing Maura's hand. "You know, you could've came and got me."

"I know," Maura smiles, "I didn't want to interfere with your rematch. Are you still the queen?"

"Hell yeah I am."

"Congratulations."

They both laugh.

"Wanna get out of here?" Jane asks.

Maura simply nods without breaking eye contact.

"Come on," she says as they exit the bathroom. "I'm just gonna run upstairs quick and grab our sweatshirts. You grab that bottle of wine you brought and, I don't know, some snacks, too. I'll meet you at the front door, alright?"

"Ok," Maura says as they part ways.

A few minutes later, Jane finds Maura sitting on the front steps.

"Ready?" she asks.

"Ready."

"Follow me," Jane says, walking ahead of Maura.

"Where are we going?" Maura asks with a hint of excitement in her voice.

"Not far," Jane replies, "We're here."

Maura looks at her confused.

"Kate's truck?"

"Yup," Jane says, opening the back latch and climbs up. She grabs the bottle of wine and bag from Maura's hands and sets them aside before helping Maura up into the bed of the pickup.

"Here," Jane says, handing her extra sweatshirt to Maura, "Put this on."

Maura does as instructed and watches as Jane opens up a compartment, pulling out blankets, pillows, and a couple of sleeping bags.

"Best part of Kate's truck," Jane says as she pulls out the last pillow and begins laying out a few blankets before unzipping the sleeping bags and propping the pillows up against the back window.

"Well," Jane says as she sat back against the pillows, "You gonna join me or what? Come here," she says, patting the spot next to her. "And grab the wine."

Maura happily occupies the space next to Jane and pulls out two plastic cups before filling them with the red liquid.

"Classy," Jane teases as she taps her cup against Maura's in a toast, "What food did you grab?"

"Pita chips," Maura replies, holding up the bag.

Jane makes a face.

"And… gummy bears."

"God I love you," Jane says, reaching for the bag, "Um, I mean… you know, uh-"

"Relax, Jane. I know what you meant," Maura laughs and settles in against Jane. The both lean back against the window. "And besides, I love you too."

xxx

"How much have you had to drink?" Jane asks as Maura snuggles even closer, resting her head on Jane's shoulder.

"Not much."

"Maura."

"Well, not counting these two glasses of wine, I only had some of that punch."

"Seriously?" Jane asks, "Shit, you need to catch up," she says as she pours Maura another glass of wine.

The two sit for a while, doing nothing but sipping wine and eating gummy bears. Not the best combo, but they wouldn't have it any other way.

"I'm cold," Maura whispers against Jane's neck, "But I don't want to go inside."

"I guess you'll just need to get closer," Jane replies in a low and sultry voice. She isn't drunk, but just tipsy enough to let her guard down.

Jane shivers as Maura laughs against her throat.

"I can't really get closer if we're sitting like this."

Jane responds by putting down her glass and zipping open one of the sleeping bags. She shifts around until she no longer was propped up against the window, but instead resting comfortably in the bag.

"How about now?" she asks, tilting her head to look up at Maura.

Without speaking, Maura slides her body into the sleeping bag and pulls another blanket over them before zipping the bag shut and enclosing them in the tight space.

"Much better," Maura whispers and rests her head on Jane's chest. Jane responds by looping an arm around Maura's waist, pulling her close.

Neither speak for a while, each thinking the other had fallen asleep.

Maura is the first to break the silence, "Jane?"

"Yeah?"

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Tell you what?" Jane asks, shifting a bit until the two lay facing one another. She instantly misses the feeling of Maura against her, but not as much as she loves being able to look at Maura's face.

"You know earlier, when we were all playing that drinking game, Never Have I Ever? When Jess said 'Never have I ever fucked a woman.'"

"What about it?" Jane asks, clearly uncomfortable.

"I saw," Maura whispers.

"Saw what?" Jane says, trying to play dumb.

"I saw you take a drink."

"I…"

"Is there something you're not telling me?"

"Maura, I…"

"You can tell me anything, Jane. You know that right?"

"Of course, it's just," Jane sighs. She is about to come up with some excuse but changes her mind when she sees the hurt on Maura's face. She needs to be honest.

"I...I'm gay," she whispers, her voice cracking with emotion.

"Oh Jane," Maura says, reaching beneath the covers to grab Jane's hand and bring it up to rest on her heart, "Why didn't you tell me? You know it doesn't change the way I feel about you, right? You're still my best friend. No matter what."

"I know, I know. I just… I thought it would easier."

"What would be easier?"

"Easier to hide how I feel about you," Jane whispers and breaks eye contact. "I thought, if you didn't know I was gay, it would be easier to hide my attraction for you. Easier for you not to notice the way I look at you. Easier to fight the urge not to kiss you. I don't know… at the time it made sense."

Maura moves closer.

"What if I didn't want you to fight it?"

Jane's head shoots up. "What?"

"I said, what if I didn't want you to fight it. What if I wanted you to kiss me?" She pauses, glancing at Jane's lips before looking into her eyes, "What if I want you to kiss me."

"Maura," Jane whispers.

"Kiss me, Jane. Please?"


	4. Chapter 4

" _What if I didn't want you to fight it?"_

_Jane's head shoots up. "What?"_

" _I said, what if I didn't want you to fight it. What if I wanted you to kiss me?" She pauses, glancing at Jane's lips before looking into her eyes, "What if I_ want  _you to kiss me."_

" _Maura," Jane whispers._

" _Kiss me, Jane. Please?"_

"Maura," Jane whispers again, "I don't-"

The expression on Maura's face is painful.

"No, no! Oh my god, no, that's not what I meant," Jane says frantically, pulling Maura closer to her, "You have no idea how badly I want to kiss you right now, but-"

"But what?" Maura asks and rest her left hand on Jane's cheek.

Jane is momentarily at a loss for words when Maura's hand touches her face.

"I… you're my friend. My  _best_  friend and I don't want to ruin that. What if we can't go back?"

"What if I don't want to go back?" Maura asks honestly, rubbing her thumb against Jane's cheek.

"But you're not… you're not gay? Are you? I mean, have you ever kissed a girl before?"

"I don't like labels. And, no, I haven't."

"Then how are being so calm about this?" Jane asks.

Maura simply shrugs.

"Because it's you. And you make me calm. And happy. A little nervous sometimes, but mostly happy."

Jane smiles.

"Why do I make you nervous?" She asks.

If it wasn't so dark, Jane would see the blush on Maura's cheeks.

"Because you make me feel things that I've never felt before," she pauses to remove her hand from Jane's cheek and instead loops it under Jane's right arm, resting it on her back. "And because sometimes I wonder when you're going to realize that I don't deserve you as a friend; that my quirks will one day be too much."

"Hey," Jane says gently, "That's not possible, Maur. I can't even imagine my life without you. I've never met anyone like you."

"Then why don't you want to kiss me?"

"God, Maura, it's not that I don't  _want_  to. I mean, Jesus, do you know how many times I've thought about it? Thought about kissing you?"

Maura smirks and pulls herself closer to Jane, "So do it,"

"Fuck," Jane exhales.

"Have you thought about that too?"

"What?"

"Have you thought about that too? Us.  _Fucking_?"

Maura knows her plan is working when Jane's hips involuntarily thrust forward at the use of profanity.

"Jesus Christ, Maur."

Maura smiles.

"Please, Jane?"

"I...are you sure?" Jane asks, tentatively slipping her right hand beneath Maura's sweatshirt.

The moment her fingertips touch the soft, warm skin of Maura's back, Maura lets out an audible sigh and arches forward. Jane has her answer.

Without another second of hesitation, Jane pulls Maura close, entangling their legs in the process and presses her lips against Maura's.

The kiss is short, gentle and tastes like cheap wine and gummy bears. It's perfect.

Pulling back, they both glance down at each other's lips before making eye contact.

"Wow," Maura whispers in awe.

"Yeah, wow," Jane agrees. "Can I," she pauses nervously, "Can I do that again?"

"Now who's begging," Maura teases. "Please. Please do it again."

Jane smiles before pulling Maura close and kissing her once again. And again. And again. They keep it simple and sweet. Slow; simply exploring what it feels like to have their lips pressed against each others.

After a few more minutes, Jane pulls at Maura until she is on top of her. God did it feel good to have Maura pressing into her.

Both of Jane's hands move under Maura's sweatshirt, enjoying the feel of smooth skin beneath her fingertips. Meanwhile, Maura's hands tangle themselves in Jane's hair, pulling gently.

Tongues hadn't even been introduced as Maura's hips suddenly rock forward, the seam of her jeans rubbing against her just right. She lets out a moan.

The sound,  _sweet jesus that sound,_ causes Jane to pull back.

"We, we gotta stop," she says through heavy pants. "We gotta stop or I won't be able to  _stop_...if you know what I mean."

"I don't want you to stop," Maura says whispers through equally heavy breathing.

"I don't  _want_  to stop either, but I think we should… I mean, shit. That would be sensory overload for one night, don't you think?"

Maura sighs.

"Yes, you're right. You're right," she says and reluctantly rolls off of Jane.

The two lay side-by-side, staring up at the night sky. Smiling.

"That was," Maura says after a while, "Wow. That was…"

"Intense?" Jane finishes.

"Yeah."

"I know."

"Does it always feel like that? Kissing girls, I mean?

"Hell no," Jane responds quickly, "That was… I don't even know what that was, but damn do I want to do it again."

Maura laughs.

"We didn't even… we didn't even use our tongues."

"I  _know_. That's why we needed to stop, I mean… can you imagine? If things had gone further?!"

"I… no," Maura answers honestly, "I really can't. But I think I'll have fun trying to imagine it," she says with a smirk as she looks over at Jane.

"You're trying to kill me."

The two lay in silence for another hour or so (both running through image after image of what they want to do to one another) before Jane finally says, "I guess we should probably head in. Sounds like things have quieted down a bit."

Maura frowns.

"I know," Jane says, "As much as I'd love to stay in this moment forever, we'd probably freeze if we slept out here."

"I suppose you're right," Maura says as she began to unzip the sleeping bag.

After all the blankets, sleeping bags and pillows are put away in the designated compartment, Jane helps Maura down from the back of the truck and leads them back inside.

The house is dark and surprisingly quiet. Jane assumes everyone is passed out in a drunken stupor. They stop at the bathroom to wash their faces and brush their teeth before heading down the hall to their room where the two other bunk beds are now occupied.

Jane pulls Maura into a hug and whispers "Goodnight," before climbing up the ladder to her bunk.

"Goodnight," Maura whispers in return and fumbles around the dark room until she feels the edge of her bed. Once her eyes adjust to the darkness, she realizes her bunk is also occupied. By two very naked bodies.

"Oh my god," she gasps, "Jane?"

"Yeah?" Jane replies, rolling over to look down at Maura.

"Can I come up there with you?"

 _Maura, I swear to god, you need to stop using_ that  _word. Because yes, you most certainly can_ come  _up here with me. Jesus. Get it together, Rizzoli!_

"Yeah, of course."

Maura pulls off her sweatshirt, unhooks her bra and slides it out under her t-shirt before climbing up the wooden ladder.

 _Oh fuck_ , Jane thinks as Maura crawls towards her on hands and knees.

"There are two very naked people in my bed," Maura whispers as she settles herself beneath the covers next to Jane.

"Oh, so you're not into threesomes?" Jane asks, doing her best to keep her voice serious, "That might be a deal breaker for me."

"Jane!"

"I'm kidding!" Jane laughs, "Now roll over."

"What?"

"Roll over," she says again and Maura obliges, turning her back to Jane and facing the wall. She is about to ask again when she feels Jane's body press up behind her.

"Mmmm," Maura sighs and presses her backside more fully against Jane, "You feel good,"

" _Shit_ , so do you," Jane says and wraps her arm around Maura's middle. Maura places her arm over Jane's and sighs contentedly as Jane nuzzles her face against the back of her neck.

"Goodnight, Jane."

"Night, Maur."

"Sweet dreams."

 _More like wet dreams,_ Jane thinks before closing her eyes.  _Very,_ very _wet dreams._


	5. Chapter 5

Early the next morning, much too early for how late they went to bed, Jane feels Maura try to sneak out of their embrace.

Jane responds by tightening her hold and sleepily mumbling, "Don't go. 's too early."

"I just need to use the restroom," Maura says in an amused tone. "And I'd like to get us some water. Did you know hydration is the best way to prevent a hangover?"

"Too early for Google talk, go," she says and loosens her grip on her friend.

"That wasn't even scientific. And those weren't even big words!" Maura whispers loudly as she climbs down the ladder and exits the room.

After using the bathroom, Maura tip-toes down the stairs with the intention of getting a glass of water, but stops dead in her tracks when she catches sight of the room.

Strewn around the living room, patio and kitchen was an assortment of bottles, empty cups, leftover food, plates, garbage… a condom wrapper?

"Oh my god," Maura says as she clutches a hand to her neck in a nervous gesture, "Oh my god." She feels her heart-rate begin to increase.

"You're fine Maura," she mutters under her breath as she takes another step into the living room.  _Just don't look. Just keep walking, fill up a glass of water and get back to Jane. You're fine. It's ok… almost there…_

"I'm not fine," she says aloud. Defeated. One of Maura's "quirks" is getting the best of her.

 _I'll just gather the empty bottles and clean up a bit, nothing drastic_ , she tells herself as she opens the cabinet beneath the sink and starts to pull out a few paper bags, the trashcan and a pair of rubber gloves.  _Just five minutes..._

xxx

Jane stats to get worried when thirty minutes pass and Maura still hasn't returned. Reluctantly, she untangles herself from beneath the covers and climbs down the ladder.

"Maura?" She whispers as she walks past the empty bathroom.

Remembering Maura had said she was getting them some water, Jane makes her way down the staircase to the kitchen where she is greeted with the sight of Maura in yoga pants, a t-shirt and yellow rubber gloves.

"Did you get lost?" Jane asks with a smile as she makes her way over to her friend who is scrubbing a spot on the counter.

"Oh!" Maura gasps in surprise, "Jane, I was just, um…"

"Cleaning the entire house?" Jane asks and glances around the living room and kitchen, which are both completely spotless.

"I… I didn't mean to, I swear," Maura says nervously. "I was trying to get a glass of water, but there were so many dirty dishes and bottles and a used condom! It was distracting. I couldn't...the-"

"The germs and other words I can't pronounce."

"Yeah, that," Maura says with her head lowered as she begins to pull off the gloves. "I'm sorry," she says in a soft voice, "I've been trying to get my  _tendencies_  under control."

"Hey," Jane says and steps closer to Maura to place a comforting hand on her shoulder, "You don't need to apologize. I'm sure Kate will be extremely relieved that she doesn't need to clean up."

Sensing Maura was still embarrassed, Jane continues, "Since we're both up, how 'bout some breakfast? We can make it and then go sit out on the beach? Heck, we might even be able to see the sunrise since you got us up so early. How's that sound?"

"I'd like that," Maura says with a small smile before turning around to wash her hands.

"Thank you Jane," Maura says over her shoulder to her friend who is searching through the cabinets.

"No problem, Maur."

"Finding anything?" Maura asks as she dries her hands.

"You're not going to believe this, but I don't even see flour. Or anything that could be used to actually  _make_  something."

"I'm actually not that surprised after watching Kate shop yesterday."

"True," Jane agrees before placing a container on the island, "I found Nutella though, so that's a plus. Now if we could just find something to… ah-ha!"

Maura looks over at her friend who is arm deep in the freezer.

Jane pulls out a yellow box and smiles victoriously, "Waffles."

Maura rolls her eyes.

"Oh, come on, one frozen waffle isn't going to kill you. Live a little."

"Fine."

Jane places two waffles in the toaster before joining Maura at the island.

"Please tell me you've had Nutella before."

Maura shakes her head.

"Shut up! Oh my god, Maur you haven't  _lived_. Ok, as a proper introduction you need to eat it straight from the container. No utensils, just your fingers," Jane says as she dips her own finger in the chocolate spread and brings it to her mouth.

"Come on," Jane says, shoving the jar towards Maura.

Hesitantly, Maura mimicks Jane's action, but right before she brings her finger to her mouth, she gets an idea.

Quickly, she reaches out to smear the chocolate on Jane's cheek before bursting into laughter at her friend's shocked expression.

"Maura! Oh you are  _so_  on," she says and dips her hand in the Nutella.

"No!" Maura yells and moves out of Jane's reach, "Jane Rizzoli don't you dare!"

"You started it!" Jane yells as she runs after Maura escapes out the side door.

When Jane catches up to her, Maura is leaning against Kate's truck, trying to catch her breath from both the running and laughing.

"Wait, wait," she gets out between breaths, "I have a better idea."

"Oh really? Something better than revenge?" Jane asks smugly and points her Nutella covered finger at Maura's nose.

Maura nods.

"And what would that be?"

"This," Maura replies as she grabs Jane's wrist and lowers it slightly, bringing it in front of her mouth.

 _Oh my god,_ Jane thinks,  _Is she about to do what I think she's gonna…yup._

Jane's brain short-circuits as she watches Maura suck her fingertip into her mouth. She feels her tongue swirl around the tip gently before releasing it with a plop.

"Better?" Maura asks, clearly pleased with Jane's reaction.

Jane can only nod.

"Good," she says before leaning in to lick the small spot of Nutella on Jane's lower cheek, right above the corner of her mouth.

The action pulls Jane from her daze and in one swift motion she backs Maura up against the side of the truck and pins her arms above her head before kissing her roughly.

The unexpected move causes Maura to let out a moan, giving Jane the perfect opportunity to glide her tongue across Maura's bottom lip. She is granted access immediately.

Their kisses last night were great, but they were simple and safe. This kiss was anything but. Messy, wet and fueled by passion. When Maura's tongue meets her own, Jane can't help but let out an approving grunt of satisfaction.

The two continue on for a few minutes longer before Jane breaks for air and refocuses her attention on Maura's neck. Little did she know she'd found Maura's spot.  _The_  spot. Kiss Maura's neck and she's putty in your hands.

"Oh god," Maura pants when Jane's tongue slowly glides against her throat. She desperately thrusts her hips forward and gasps when her friend's teeth bite gently at her sensitive flesh before soothing it with open-mouthed kisses. She moans when they became not-so-gentle, but mark-worthy.

Not being able to resist the urge to touch Maura, Jane lets go of her hold on Maura's wrists and immediately reaches down to grab her ass, palming it roughly before lifting her up. The move prompts Maura to wrap her legs around Jane's waist; moaning when Jane's torso presses against her center. Her hands eagerly find their way to the back of Jane's neck, directing her up to Maura's mouth.

Neither of them can get enough. Their thrusts become more frantic, breathing becomes heavier, kisses sloppier. Jane shifts her hold on Maura so she can slip a hand beneath her shirt and caress the soft skin below Maura's breast.

Maura gasps at the skin-to-skin contact; her senors reaching capacity.

"Jane," she pants.

"Christ, Maur you feel good," she growls between kisses.

"Jane, I think… I think I might…oh...don't stop," she begs frantically, "Don't stop, I-"

A door clangs shut behind them causing them both to whip their heads in the direction of Kate who stands awkwardly in front of the house.

"Oh  _shit_!" Kate gasps, " I was just," she looks down at the items in her hand before holding them up, "Waffles?"


	6. Chapter 6

"Shit," Jane mumbles under her breath as she not so gracefully drops Maura to her feet. Maura stumbles and reaches out to balance herself against the truck, momentarily unable to move.

She looks at Kate before realizing that Jane had quickly started to head towards the beach.

"Jane?" Maura calls from her spot at the truck; still too disjointed to run after her. When Jane doesn't turn to look at her, Maura gives Kate a worried look.

"I'm sorry!" Kate yells as Maura rushes by her. Too distracted, Maura doesn't hear her.

When she catches up, Maura reaches out to grab Jane's arm and turns her around so they are facing one another.

"Jane?" She asks again in a concerned tone.

Refusing to make eye contact, Jane instead looks off to the ocean and nervously runs her fingers through her hair.

"What the hell are we doing, Maura?"

"I... I thought we were kissing?"

"No," she snaps in frustration, "I know what we were doing, but are we doing?" She says, waving an arm frantically between them.

"I'm not sure I understand," Maura admits.

"What are we? I mean, what is this to you?" Jane asks and continues to speak when Maura's face scrunches in confusion. "Like, when we kiss... Us kissing, what does that mean to you? Are you… I don't know, just kissing me because you now know I'm a lesbian? Or what? Because I've fallen for straight girls before and it never ends well. I don't want to be some experiment or something. Are you just doing it to be nice or… "

"Jane," Maura says calmly as she reaches out for her friend, happy when Jane lets her hold on. She moves her hands to cup Jane's cheeks, forcing her to look at her.

"Since when did you become the wordy one?" Maura asks.

Jane can't help but laugh. Leave it to Maura to suddenly become an expert in humor during the middle of a serious conversation.

"That's better," Maura says in a gentle voice and presses her thumbs against Jane's dimples.

"Maur, I'm being serious."

"I know you are."

"So? Give me some answers. You're the smart one," she says and wraps her hands around Maura's wrists. When Maura doesn't respond, Jane asks again, "What are we doing?" Her voice barely above a whisper.

"I...I don't know, Jane," Maura says honestly and rubs her thumbs against Jane's cheeks, "All I know is that your friendship has been the best thing that's ever happened to me," she pauses, thinking about how much she should say. "And I enjoy being with you. I enjoy your sense of humor and I like the way you make me feel and I'm quickly learning that I really enjoy kissing you," she says before biting her lip and diverting her gaze.

"And if wanting to kiss you more makes me a lesbian, so be it. I'll be a lesbian for you," she says with a silly grin.

Jane smiles at her friend and gently pulls her hands away from her face. She lets go of one to play with Maura's fingers; not knowing what else to do with her hands.

"It's freaking me out how calm you're being about this. It's not like you," Jane says with a small laugh.

"Honestly, it's freaking me out a little bit too," Maura admits before moving to settle her hands in Jane's sweatshirt pocket. Jane responds by wrapping her arms around Maura's waist to pull her close.

"I can't believe I'm not trying to analyze this or compartmentalize, but right now I'm content with not knowing. I'm in no rush to analyze or label it as anything. I mean sure, when the endorphins wear off, I might enter panic mode, but when it comes to you, Jane, I don't mind not having all the answers."

Jane looks at her for a moment. Really looks at her; taking in the features of her face, searching her eyes for any hint of doubt. But of course, she doesn't find any. This is Maura, after all.

"That's a very nice thing to say," Jane says with a smile.

"It's the truth," Maura replies honestly, staring up at her best friend.

"So..." Jane says after a while.

"So?"

"I guess... I guess we just see what happens?"

Maura nods.

"Ok," Jane says, trying not to smile. " But, uh maybe we should take things slow? Or slower? I mean, shit Maur, you almost came just from kissing!"

"Jane!" Maura says and playfully pokes Jane's stomach through her sweatshirt, "I can't control my body's response to you. In fact," she says with a smirk, "You should take that as a compliment."

"I… I guess you're right. Thank you, Maura's body," she teases.

Maura rolls her eyes.

"Can we go back to bed?" Jane asks with a yawn.

"I thought you wanted to go slow?" Maura asks with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh shut up," Jane responds playfully, "You woke me up at the butt crack of dawn! I'm tired."

"Fine, but if you want to go slow, you better keep your hands to yourself."

"What?! I won't do anything, I just want to… cuddle," Jane says with a blush.

"I never would've pegged you as a cuddler," Maura says.

"Yeah, well I never woulda pegged you as a lesbian," Jane deadpans.

They both burst into laughter.

"Come on," Jane says as she wraps an arm around Maura's shoulder and leads them back towards the house.

xxx

A few hours later, after waking up at a much more reasonable hour for a Saturday, Maura shifts around in Jane's embrace until her head rests against Jane's chest.

"Jane?" she asks in a sleepy voice.

"Yeah?" Jane replies, repositioning her hold on Maura.

"I meant to tell you this earlier, but I want you to know that this isn't an experiment to me. I would never use you like that."

Jane smiles and kisses the top of Maura's head. "I know, I don't know why I said that."

"Because you've been hurt before," Maura answers without a hint of a question in her voice. She's been hurt too.

"Yeah. Couple years ago," Jane replies, not really sure why she specifies when.

"I'm sorry," Maura whispers as she nuzzles her head closer to Jane's neck.

"It's not your fault, Maur. You don't need to apologize," she responds and begins to thread her fingers through Maura's hair.

"I know. I just," she pauses to bring her hand up to Jane's chest, slowly grazing her fingertip over Jane's collarbone, "I know how it feels and I'm just sorry you had to go through that experience."

A comfortable silence settles over them as they continue to just be present with one another. Jane's hands thread through Maura's hair and Maura's fingertips trail against her skin and along the edges of her t-shirt.

After a while, Maura asks, "Has there been anyone recently?"

"Hm?" Jane asks, still in a comfortable daze.

"Have you dated anyone recently?"

"Not really. I mean, there have been a couple flings, which were fine, but-"

She stops mid sentence.

"But what?" Maura asks curiously.

"I… uh, well, ever since we've become friends it's been difficult."

"What do you mean?" Maura asks and pushes herself up on her elbows so she can look down at Jane's face.

"I just… I always end up comparing them to you," Jane says honestly and glances up at the ceiling to avoid Maura's gaze. "I mean, sure, some were really pretty, but not as beautiful as you." Out of the corner of her eye she sees Maura smile. A real, genuine smile.

"Or the sex was really great, but they couldn't hold a conversation or… I don't know. They just weren't... you."

Maura leans in and kisses Jane's cheek.

"That's very sweet, Jane," she says before resting her head back against Jane's chest.

"Is this your version of foreplay?" Maura asks playfully, "Because it's working."

"Oh trust me, you won't need to ask. You'll know," Jane says with a laugh.

"I'm looking forward to it," Maura whispers against Jane's neck.

Jane, momentarily, stops breathing.


	7. Chapter 7

"Ugh," Jess groans into her mug.

"What?" Margo asks as she plays with the head of hair in her lap.

"Have those two banged yet?"

"Who? Rizzoli and Isles?" Liz asks from Margo's lap.

The three turn to look at the two who are standing at the island in the kitchen, laughing and drinking coffee.

"I swear to god, if they don't fuck by the end of this trip…"

"What do you care?" Margo asks.

"Look at them! They're just drinking coffee and I can feel the sexual tension from here. It's ridiculous."

The three watch as Jane whispers something in Maura's ear. Watch as Maura turns her head to the side, blushing and biting her lip. Watch her tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear.

"Yup," Liz says, "They've got it bad."

"I think we should help them speed things along," Jess says.

"Oh? And how do you propose we do that? Lock 'em in a room together?" Margo asks.

"That could work," Liz replies.

"I have a better idea," Jess says with a smirk as she pulls out her cell phone to type out a message to her boyfriend.

Margo and Liz stare at her curiously as she taps away on her phone.

"So? What is it?" Margo asks.

"You'll see."

xxx

Later that night, the house turns into an exact replica of the previous night. Lots of beer. Lots of food. Lots of drinking games. But this time, the party took place out on the patio and down by the bonfire at the beach.

While she's having a good time, Maura is surprised by the fact that this is how most college students spent their weekends. She finds it to be exhausting and quite repetitive and while she understands the point of these nights is to let loose and (sometimes) find a partner for the night, all Maura wants to do is be with Jane.

It didn't even need to be sexual (although she found herself thinking about that a lot recently), she would be content to just snuggle on the couch while watching a movie or talking about anything and everything near the fire pit on the beach or watching the sunset or…

Her thoughts are interrupted when Jess's boyfriend joins the group on the large patio with a bottle and bag in his hands.

"I've got tequila!" He exclaims.

Another voice yells, "Body shots!"

People cheer.

"Oh shit," Jane utters under her breath.

"You didn't," Margo says as she looks to Jess who is smirking victoriously.

"Oh, but I did," Jess replies.

"What makes you so sure this is gonna work?" Margo asks.

"Worked for you and Liz."

Margo opens her mouth to respond, but nothing comes out.

"Exactly," Jess says.

At that moment, the three of them hear Maura ask, "Body shots?"

Margo and Liz exchange looks. This was gonna be good.

"Go and I can show you, Maura," Liz says and pushes her girlfriend down against the large patio table.

"There are two variations, so Jess and Rob can demonstrate the other. Jess is better endowed for that one," Margo says with a laugh.

"Shut up," Jess replies as she helps Rob get everything ready. She looks at Maura and says, "You and Jane can go next."

Maura looks at them both curiously before turning to face Jane who is leaning against the porch railing. Jane knows exactly what her friends are doing. She helped Jess do this same thing two years ago when they were trying to get Liz and Margo to finally hook up.

Jane was equally terrified and aroused by the idea.

"Ready?" Jess asks Margo and Liz.

They both nod and Jess hands Liz the salt shaker before placing the lime wedge between Margo's teeth.

Guys cheer as Liz got on the table to straddle Margo's hips before dragging her tongue along her girlfriend's exposed abdomen. She then begins to sprinkle salt over wet skin.

Maura watches in awe as Liz pours the amber liquid onto Margo's stomach; her mouth hangs open as Liz licks every last drop before crawling up Margo's body to take the lime from her mouth.

 _I want to do that,_ Maura thinks,  _I want to do that to Jane._

"Wh-what's the other version?" Maura asks after clearing her throat, trying not to appear flustered.

"Oh fuck it," Jane says and grabs Maura's wrist, " _I'll_  just show her the other version."

Jess, Margo and Liz exchange looks. Clearly surprised by how willing Jane is. Looks like getting them together was going to be easier than they thought. Kate had failed to mention what she witnessed in the morning.

Jane gently urges Maura to sit on the edge of the table before placing her hands on Maura's knees to spread them open so she can stand between them.

Once situated, Jane looks into Maura's eyes and forgets about everyone else around her. Right now, it's just her and Maura.

"Ready?" Jane asks in a whisper.

Maura can only nod.

Jane takes the small plastic shot glass, filled to the rim with tequila and hands it to Maura.

"What do I do?"

Jane looks down at Maura's heaving chest before gently pulling down the V of her t-shirt.

"Wha-oh," Maura says as she realizes what she's supposed to do. She places the glass between her breasts.

Moving on to the next step, Jane leans in to lick her tongue up Maura's throat. Maura gasps and instinctively reaches out to pull Jane closer, forgetting about the audience watching.

Jane pulls back to put the lime wedge in Maura's mouth, thinking she probably should've done that first. Maura tilts her head to the side and Jane sprinkles the salt on her neck before returning her tongue to Maura's warm skin.

The lime prevents Maura from moaning this time.

After Jane manages to lick Maura's neck clean, she looks up into her friend's eyes before placing a hand on each of Maura's thighs. She bends slightly to wrap her mouth around the shot glass and her lips gently press against the tops of Maura's breasts. Maura's hands tighten around Jane's hips at the sensation.

Jane pulls back to swallow the liquid at lets the plastic shot glass fall from her lips before slowly leaning in to pull the lime from Maura's mouth. They don't hear the group cheer and they don't notice their friends mouths fall open as Jane drops the lime to roughly kiss Maura.

After a minute, Jane pulls back to look at her friend who is breathing heavily through swollen lips. She smirks before leaning in to whisper in Maura's ear, "The truck. Ten minutes," she says before wiping her mouth and heading back inside.

Maura downs a shot of tequila.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: You probably shouldn't read this at work. Or in public.

Exactly ten minutes later, Maura finds herself leaning against Kate's red pickup truck, waiting for Jane.

When the side door creaks open, Maura looks up from her fidgeting hands to see Jane walking towards her.

Next thing she knew, she was pushed up against the truck with hands pinned above her, just like this morning. But this time, it was different. This time, they both knew something more was about to happen, they just didn't know who would take it to the next level.

"What is it about this truck?" Maura asks between kisses.

"You look good pinned against it," Jane whispers in Maura's ear, bringing her lobe into her mouth.

In one quick move, a surprise to both of them, Maura manages to flip their positions so that Jane is pressed flat against the truck.

"So do you," she purrs before  _finally_  getting a chance to taste the skin on Jane's neck.

"Jesus," Jane breathes as Maura's lips trail down her throat until they reach her collarbone. She pulls back to look at Jane.

"I'm a little disappointed, Jane."

"What?" Jane asks in confusion, clearly not expecting those words.

"You left before I could take a body shot from you," she says as her fingertips find the edge of Jane's shirt, pushing it up to reveal a toned stomach.

"I," Jane starts to say, but is too distracted by the sensations happening below.

"I guess I'll just have to do it without the alcohol," Maura says, bending at the knees until she is eye level with Jane's bellybutton. While she probably didn't need it, she's glad she took those two shots of tequila.

Jane looks down at Maura who is looking up at her through hooded eyes and thinks it might be the sexiest fucking thing she's ever seen.

Maura smirks at her before breaking eye contact to place a gentle kiss just above the hem of Jane's jeans. Jane's hips jerk forward at the light touch. In response, Maura reaches out to put her hands on Jane's hips, squeezing gently before pushing them back against the truck.

Encouraged, Maura opens her mouth to suck lightly at the skin below Jane's bellybutton. She nips the skin with her teeth before slowly trailing her tongue up Jane's abdomen.

Jane sighs, leans her head back and slumps against the truck.

When Maura gets to the spot just below Jane's bra, she places a kiss there before standing back up. She waits until Jane opens her eyes to speak.

"But I will say, I'm glad there's no lime," she says before placing a kiss on Jane's lips. It was a chaste kiss for about half a second before Jane captures Maura's bottom lip between her own, sucking gently before sliding her tongue into Maura's mouth.

Jane's hands trail down Maura's back until they land on her ass, she palms it roughly to bring Maura closer before slipping her hands beneath Maura's t-shirt. Maura breaks the kiss to let out a sigh of approval at the feeling of Jane's cold hands against her back. She tilts her head to the side and rests her forehead against Jane's cheek.

For a moment they simply slump against one another, breathing heavily.

"Jane," Maura whispers. Her breath tickles Jane's face.

"Maura," Jane responds, gently trailing her fingertips along Maura's smooth back.

"Jane," she repeats, unable to say more than one syllable.

They both know the next move is the turning point; no going back. They both want it, (god, do they want it), but there's a hesitancy.

Maura kisses Jane's cheek before turning her head to the side. She's not sure if it's the tequila giving her courage, or if it's the burning between her legs or the gentle hands caressing her back. Whatever it is, her next words change everything.

"Jane," she whispers for a third time against Jane's ear, "I want you to fuck me."

" _Fuck_ ," Jane moans.

"Please," Maura asks as she kisses Jane's throat.

"It's not that I don't want to," Jane barely manages to get out as she feels Maura's lips on her neck and hands beneath her shirt. "I just... How much have you had to drink?" She asks.

"Not enough to make me regret what I hope we're about to do. Please Jane?" Maura asks again as she continues to kiss Jane's neck. "I want you to fuck me like those other girls."

"But you're not like those other girls, Maur."

"Exactly, Jane. I'm not," she pulls back to look at her friend. "I'm  _not_  like those girls. I'm not going to run; I'm not going to use you. I want this Jane. I want you."

"Are-are you sure?"

Tired of talking, Maura reaches an arm around her back to grab hold of Jane's hand. She brings it back to her front, slipping it under her casual athletic skirt (one she'd purchased on a trip to the Nike store with Jane) and guides it where she needs it to be.

They both gasp when Jane's fingertips come in contact with the damp lace.

"Does it feel like I'm sure?" Maura purrs. "The body doesn't lie, Jane. I want you..." Her breath catches when she feels Jane's fingers twitch against the wet fabric. "...I want you inside mmpf-." Her sentence is cut off by Jane's lips pressing roughly against her own.

"Get in the truck," Jane tells her and gently pushes her towards the door.

Maura quickly opens it and just manages to get situated on her back before she hears the door slam and feels Jane's body press against her.

"Who knew you'd have such a dirty mouth," Jane says between kisses.

Maura laughs and says, "I probably should've warned you, I tend to be quite vulgar when I'm aroused. Or drunk. Or both."

"Well whatever the reason, it's sexy as hell," Jane says before returning her mouth to Maura's.

The two continue on for much longer than expected; neither of them able to get enough of the sensation of simply kissing. Jane thrusts her hips against Maura when she bites down gently on her tongue. Their kisses are warm, wet and sloppy. The sound of their breathing fills the small space of the truck.

Not being able to slow her body's response, Maura grabs Jane's wrist and once again directs it to where she needs it.

"Please, Jane," she pants as Jane's lips suck on her collarbone, "I...I  _need_  you."

Finally giving in to Maura's request, Jane slips her hand beneath Maura's undergarments and…

"Holy  _fuck_ , Maur," she says when her fingers glide over Maura's silky center. "You're so wet," she whispers with a hint of surprise in her voice and collapses for a moment on top of Maura, needing a minute to get over the sensation. She can't believe she caused this response.

"You, it's… because of you," Maura gasps as Jane's fingers explore her folds.

After composing herself (barely), Jane removes her hand and sits back on her heels to slowly slide the damp material down Maura's legs.

Once discarded, she positions herself on all fours above Maura. She watches Maura's chest rise and fall with each breath, watches the lustful look in her eyes. But even so, she senses that Maura is a little nervous.

Jane reaches down to brush a strand of hair out of Maura's eyes. They share a smile.

"You sure?" Jane asks again as her hand makes it's way under Maura's skirt to rest on the inside of her thigh.

Maura nods and reaches up to pull Jane down for a brief kiss before whispering, "Make me come, Jane."

 _Fuck._ Maura's mouth was quickly becoming Jane's new favorite thing. In more ways than one.

Without a second of hesitation, Jane slips two fingers inside Maura and begins to thrust her hips when she hears Maura's sigh of approval.

xxx

"Hey Kate, you might wanna get your truck cleaned after this trip," Jess says, trying not to laugh.

"Huh?" Kate asks and turns her attention from the fire pit to the direction of where Jess, Margo and Liz are all staring.

They watch the old red pickup truck gently rock from side to side.

"Oh, come on!" Kate yells.

"Oh, that's  _exactly_  what they're doing!" Liz barely manages to get out through her laughter, "On everything!"

xxx

The windows of the truck were foggy and the air was thick; hot. Jane is holding on to the door handle near Maura's head to keep herself balanced enough to keep thrusting.

Each pump pulls a breathy moan from Maura's lips and Jane is completely intoxicated by the sound.

"Jane… oh god, Jane..." Maura gasps.

Jane smirks against Maura's neck and licks at the salty, wet skin.

"You feel so good," Maura sighs as her hands trail down Jane's back until they grip her bottom to pull her closer.

"Fuck, Maur, so do you," Jane says, continuing her movements.

"Har-harder," Maura gasps, "P-please. I need…more."

Jane bites roughly at Maura's skin, causing Maura to moan. She adjusts herself, trying to get in a better position to help Maura, but the slight slope of the seat is making it difficult.

"I, shit Maura, I can't."

"What?!" Maura's eyes widen and her face falls. "No, no, no," she says, grabbing Jane's wrist.

"No, that's not, no," Jane shakes her head. "That's not what I meant," she says out of breath, "I can't...this position."

Maura's face relaxes, but only until Jane slowly retracts her fingers. Maura whimpers in protest.

"Sorry," Jane says sincerely before sitting up and leaning back against the seat. "Come here," she says, grabbing Maura's hands to pull her up.

With a pouty face, Maura obliges until she's straddling Jane's lap.

"I'm sorry," Jane says again and reaches up to wipe the sweaty hair away from Maura's face. "But I think you'll like this alternative," she whispers.

Before Maura can respond, Jane slips her hand between Maura's open legs and slowly slides her fingers into Maura's warm center. A small noise escapes Maura's lips at the sensation. Her mouth hangs open and her eyes never leave Jane's as she enters her slowly.

Jane thought she might come just from watching Maura's face.

Maura takes a moment to adjust to the feeling before realizing the position they're in. She smiles at Jane before seductively pulling her shirt up and over her head, giving Jane a perfect view of her cleavage.

"Jesus," Jane groans.

Maura leans forward, her breasts dangerously close to Jane's lips. She grips the top of the seat on both sides of Jane's head before she starts rolling her hips.

"You're gonna make me do all the work?" She whispers in Jane's ear as her hips pick up speed against Jane's fingers.

"I'm a little distracted," Jane responds before lowering her mouth to Maura's breasts, nipping gently at the exposed flesh. Her free hand finds its way beneath Maura's short skirt and roughly squeezes the bare skin, pulling forward to help Maura thrust harder and deeper.

"Oh!" Maura gasps and momentarily halts her movements.

Jane chuckles. "This is me helping. Do you want me to sto-"

"No! Don't you dare stop," Maura pants as she begins to rock her hips again.

"That's what I thought," Jane says and playfully slaps Maura's ass.

The intensity rises and their movements become frantic. Jane's mouth latches onto Maura's left breast, sucking gently over the fabric of her bra. In response, Maura arches her back, pushing her chest closer against Jane's mouth as her hips continue to ride Jane's hand. Her breathing is quick, small noises escape her lips and her fingertips dig deep into Jane's shoulders.

"Jane," she gasps, her hips starting to twitch. "Oh, oh, don't stop," she pants.

Jane removes her hand from Maura's ass and presses it flat against her stomach.

"I'm… almost… please… don't… stop."

Jane flexes her thumb until it comes in contact with the small bundle of nerves.

Maura whimpers and says "I'm gonna…"

Jane moves her thumb in a circular motion and…

"Oh, oh, oh my god…  _Jane_!" Maura yells as an intense orgasm courses through her body. She collapses against the woman in front of her, resting her forehead against Jane's. Her breath is quick and warm against Jane's face.

Jane continues to move her thumb until Maura twitches and moves a hand down to stop the movement.

For a moment they just sit there, attempting to catch their breath. Maura whimpers when Jane slowly pulls out.

"That was…wow," Maura pants.

Jane smirks, proud of herself.

"Yeah, wow."

After another minute or so, Maura pulls away from Jane so she can look at her. Jane adjusts her hold and slowly rubs her hands against the smooth skin of Maura's back. Their gaze is intense.

They are both covered in a layer of sweat, damp hair sticks to the side of their faces.

"I don't know if this is the right thing to say," Jane begins, "but holy shit, you are so fucking sexy."

Maura laughs nervously and looks off to the side before tucking her hair behind her ears. Jane smiles endearingly at the nervous gesture.

"I'm serious," she whispers and reaches up to tilt Maura's chin to look at her.

"Thank you," Maura whispers back. She leans in to kiss Jane before casually demanding, "Now take off your pants."

Jane pulls back, her face wearing a look of confusion.

"Excuse me?"

"Take off your pants," Maura repeats, shifting off of Jane to allow her to grant the request.

"Wh-why?"

"Jane," she says seriously, "You didn't think I was going to leave you all hot and bothered, did you?"

"I… well, yeah. I did think that."

Maura smiles at her friend, "Just take off your pants."

As soon as the garments were removed, Maura was on the floor of the truck, on her knees, between Jane's legs.

Jane was about to lose her mind.

Maura rests her hands on Jane's thighs before placing warm, open mouthed kisses on the exposed skin. She starts at Jane's knee and works her way upward. When her mouth reaches the top of Jane's inner thigh, she bites down gently before soothing the mark with a kiss.

"Mm-Maura," Jane stutters, "Wh-what are you doing?"

Maura looks up at her.

"I mean, I  _know_  what you're doing, but you've never, you know…I don't want you to do it just because you feel like you need to reciprocate. If you're not ready-"

She's cut off by Maura's voice, "That's very sweet Jane, but I want to do this," she says before smirking up at her friend, "I want to taste you."

"Fuck," Jane sighs and drops her head back against the seat as Maura's mouth makes contact with her center.

Maura moans against her, the vibration causes Jane to buck her hips forward. Maura reaches up to hold Jane's hips as she continues to explore with her tongue.

"Jesus," Jane pants, not believing the things her friend is doing with her mouth. She wasn't going to last long.

"Mmmm," Maura hums as she glides her tongue between Jane's folds. Jane reaches down to stroke her fingers through Maura's sweaty, tangled hair to keep her in place.

Maura continues to swirl her tongue, reacting to the sounds escaping Jane's lips and the way she pulls at her hair. She can feel Jane start to tense under her lips, so she moves her mouth to latch onto the bundle of nerves.

Jane's right leg shoots up to rest against the dashboard.

"Oh fuck… oh my god… Maura."

Maura sucks gently.

Jane gasps.

Maura slips a hand beneath Jane's shirt and slowly trails her fingers up until they meet the fabric of Jane's sports bra. She palms the flesh roughly and Jane loses it.

"Mmm-maur… I'm gonna…  _fuck_!"

Maura smiles against Jane's wet skin and places gentle kisses over the swollen area until Jane gently pulls at her hair; too sensitive to handle anything more.

"Holy… shit," Jane manages to say after a while. "Are you sure you've never done that before?" She asks as she helps Maura back into her lap.

"Did I do alright?" Maura asks, genuinely curious, even though the answer is quite obvious.

Jane laughs. "Uh, yeah. You were more than alright. That was… amazing."

Maura smiles, feeling extremely proud of herself.

After a moment, Jane notices the look on Maura's face, like she wants to say something.

"What?" Jane asks and reaches up to touch Maura's cheek.

"Can I," she hesitates, "Is it alright if I kiss you? I mean, after... _that_. Would it be weird for you to-"

She gets her answer in the form of a kiss.

Jane moans at the unique taste of herself on Maura's lips.

"Not weird," she gets out between kisses, "Sexy."

Maura laughs into their next kiss and the two share a few more kisses before Jane asks, "How did you… that  _thing…_  with your tongue? I mean… wow."

"If you thought that was impressive, you should see what I can do with my hands."

Yup, Jane was screwed.


	9. Chapter 9

Early the next morning, Maura is the first to wake up from their sex-induced sleep. She's not exactly sure how they ended up in their current position, but it makes her laugh just the same. She's flat on her back, with Jane resting between her legs, using her chest as a pillow. Jane's bare bottom on full display.

Her laughter causes Jane to stir and mumble her disapproval against Maura's breast. Another laugh escapes Maura's lips before she speaks.

"Good morning," she whispers quietly and begins to thread a hand through Jane's tangled hair.

"Mmpf," Jane grunts, "So tired."

"Understandable," Maura says, "You had quite the workout last night," she teases.

It's then that Jane seems to realize that she's half naked, laying on top of Maura, face full of her cleavage. She pushes herself up to rest on her forearms and looks down at her friend. She doesn't understand how it's possible for someone to so that good in the morning, much less after sex and sleeping in an old truck.

Maura smiles up at her and can't help but giggle.

"What?" Jane asks.

Maura glances down at her own chest before returning her eyes to Jane, "I think you were drooling on me," she says before another laugh echoes fills the truck.

"What?" Jane repeats before looking down at Maura's chest, "Oh gross," she says as she wipes the side of her mouth. "I'm sorry, Maur," she admits.

"It's fine," she says like it's no big deal.

"I just can't help it," Jane replies with her famous Rizzoli smirk, "You're just so... mouth watering."

The two stare at each other before bursting into a fit of laughter.

As the laughing subsides, Jane leans in for a kiss, but Maura offers her her cheek instead.

"Oh no," Jane says playfully, "The drool was too much, wasn't it? Total deal breaker."

"No," Maura assures her, "It's just… I haven't brushed my teeth yet," she says quickly.

 _Why do you have to be so cute?_ Jane thinks as she looks down at Maura and reaches out to play with a lock of hair.

"You're one of  _those_  people, aren't you?" Jane asks.

"Those people?" Maura questions, her eyebrows raised.

"You know, the ones who sneak out of bed in the morning to wash their face, guzzle some mouth wash, put on some makeup and sneak back to bed? Acting like you woke up that way," Jane teases.

"What? No, of course not!"

"Maura."

"Ok, the mouthwash, maybe. But that's it. I promise. Oral health is very important, Jane," Maura replies with a grin.

Just the word conjures up images in Jane's mind from last night. When it comes to Maura's mouth, Jane decides she's not going to argue.

"Well, I'd really like to kiss you, so I guess we better find you some mouthwash," Jane says as she moves to get off of Maura. She looks down at her lower half, "And I better find myself some pants."

xxx

Thankfully, it was still early and most of the houseguests were still asleep, making the awkward morning after a little less, well, awkward.

The two walk quietly into the house and up the stairs. When they reach their room, Maura whispers, "Do you mind if I shower? I feel like-"

"You just had sex in a truck?" Jane finishes. "I was thinking the same thing," she replies with a smile as they quickly grab a change of clothes and toiletries from the room.

They walk down the hall until they reach the bathroom and Maura is confused when Jane keeps walking.

"Jane?" She asks.

"You use that one," Jane replies, "I'm gonna use the one downstairs."

"Oh," Maura says a little sadly, "I thought we would shower together."

 _Oh my god, this woman._ Jane thinks before responding, "As much I would love that, Maur, if I got in that shower with you I'm almost certain I would never come out," she says. "And we probably wouldn't get much cleaning done."

Maura laughs and bites her lip. "I guess you're right."

"I'll meet you down there when you're done," Jane says as she continues down the stairs. "Take your time."

xxx

A little while later, after changing into jeans and a loose-fitting sweater that hangs off the shoulder, Maura makes her way downstairs. She's disappointed when she notices the bathroom door to be open, but Jane no where in sight.

Instead, she sees Kate, Jess, Liz and Margo all sitting on the large L-shaped couch. All of them still half asleep.

"Have you seen Jane?" She asks them.

"Maura!" Jess yells when she realizes that Maura entered the room, "Come sit," she says, making room for her on the couch. The other girls seem to perk up as well.

Hesitantly, she makes her way over and sits down next to Jess.

"Sooo how was it?" Jess asks excitedly.

"Yes please," Liz chimes in, "Tell us everything." Margo pinches her girlfirends side at the comment.

"It was fine," Maura replies.

"Fine? Just  _fine_?" Jess asks.

Maura looks at them, confused. "Uh, it was… hot," she looks at the girls faces who look at her like they want her to continue.

"The pressure was a bit hard, but that's an easy fix," she turns to Kate, "I could ask Jane to look at the pipes for you, if you want, since her father is a plumber."

The group looked at her, utterly confused.

"Wait, what? Maura what are you talking about?" Liz asks.

"I… the shower? Isn't that what you were asking me about?

The three burst out laughing and Maura feels a small pang in her chest.

"No, Maura that is definitely not what we were asking you about," Liz says through her laughter.

"How was last night?" Jess asks eagerly, "You know, with Jane?"

"Oh!" Maura says, her face blushing, "Did she tell you something?"

"Nah, we couldn't get a word out of her," Jess replies, "But we saw."

Maura eyes widen in horror.

"No, no! We didn't  _see_  anything, we just saw Kate's truck rocking back and forth," Jess says with a grin.

Maura feels her face become warm and she looks over at Kate, "I'm sorry Kate, I'd be happy to pay to have the truck cleaned or reupholstered or -"

"Relax Maura," Kate says with a gentle smile, "It's not like you two are the first to have sex in that thing. It's no big deal, really."

"Are you sure?" Maura asks. "Because I will gladly write you a check-"

"Don't worry about it."

Maura simply nods, "Ok."

Jess, in an effort to steer the conversation back on track says, "Looks like it was pretty intense." She lets her eyes drop to Maura's neck and part of her collarbone which are both covered in light hickeys.

"Jess!" Margo says, shoving her shoulder.

"What?! I wanna know!"

Maura instantly reaches up to cover her exposed skin.

"I'm sorry Maura. Please, ignore these voyeurs," Margo says with a nod in Jess' direction. "We're just happy for you two. It's been a long time comin'"

"Not last night it wasn't," Jess mumbles under her breath.

"Oh my god, Jess you are such a perv!"

They all laugh.

"You're really happy for us?" Maura asks.

"Of course!" Margo answers.

"We could practically feel the sexual tension and chemistry between you two all weekend," Jess adds.

"Yeah," Kate says, "And I think Jane has really liked you for a while, so we're happy. You know, to see her so happy."

Maura smiles at her, "Jane is very lucky to have all of you as friends."

"Can you tell  _her_  that?" Liz teases back.

Sensing that Maura was about to ask again where she could find Jane, Margo says, "She's down on the beach,"

"Thank you," Maura replies before getting up.

xxx

Maura makes her way down the beach with two mugs of coffee in her hands. She smiles when she sees Jane sitting on a blanket with her knees pulled to her chest, looking out at the ocean.

Maura watches for a minute as the wind twists her damp hair before approaching her friend.

"Hey," Jane says with a smile as she looks up at Maura.

"May I join you?"

"Of course," Jane says and pats the spot next to her.

Maura hands her one of the mugs.

"Mmm," Jane says after taking a sip, "Just the way I like it. How'd you know?"

Maura shrugs, "I notice."

Jane smiles at her before returning her gaze to the ocean.

The two sit like that for a while, quietly sipping coffee, enjoying each other's company and watching the water. It was one of the things Maura loved most about her friendship with Jane; it was simple.

Jane finishes the last of her coffee and sets the mug aside. Maura does the same.

"Do you regret it?" Jane asks softly, not breaking her gaze from the ocean.

"What?" Maura asks, turning to look at her friend's profile.

"Last night," Jane replies and looks at Maura, "Do you regret it?"

"No," Maura replies honestly, "Do you?"

Jane shakes her head, "No. I don't regret it, but…" Her voice trails off.

"But what?" Maura asks nervously.

Jane notices Maura's hands start to fidget, so she reaches out to hold them in her own.

"I just, I feel bad. I feel bad that our first time together was in an old truck…I don't know… I mean, I didn't even get to see you, ya know? We both still had most of our clothes on and I just...I just feel like I didn't make you feel special. I didn't take the time to make you feel appreciated."

"Jane," Maura says quietly, her voice laced with emotion.

"I just don't want you to think that it was just a quick fuck. It's…  _you_  are so much more to me to than that."

"I know, Jane. And I didn't think that," Maura replies, "Even though it was mostly physical last night, it felt like more. I could feel it. There was… I don't know, a certain amount of tenderness you had with all your touches that made me know it wasn't just that."

Jane looks at her.

"I know it doesn't look that way based on the marks on my neck," she says playfully.

"You should see mine," Jane responds, pulling down the neck of her sweatshirt.

Maura gasps when she sees the coloring on Jane's neck. Jane simply laughs.

"Besides," Maura continues, "It was probably for the best that we went that route for our first time together. Your friends were right, we had a lot of sexual tension between us. I think it was good for us to release some of that tension so that the next time, it won't feel so frantic. We can take our time to explore" she says in sultry voice.

Jane sighs contentedly as she lays down on the blanket, pulling Maura on top of her.

"Can I kiss you now?" Jane asks, "I've only been waiting  _all_  morning," she teases.

"Please do," Maura answers happily as Jane rolls her onto her back.

Jane pauses to look down at Maura, "I really like you."

"I really like you, too," Maura replies sweetly.

They smile at one another before Jane gently presses her lips to Maura's.

They kiss until it's time to go home.


	10. Chapter 10

When Jane and Maura returned from their weekend in Rockport they were both, unfortunately, swept up in their busy schedules of class, practice and work. A week had passed with nothing but a few calls, texts and a quick lunch on Tuesday.

So, when Friday night rolled around and Maura asked Jane to accompany her to her mother's art gallery opening, Jane barely put up a fight. She missed her friend (girlfriend?). Whatever. She welcomed the opportunity to just be in Maura's presence. It had been difficult, after a weekend of being near her constantly (and  _in_  her, briefly), to only seeing her once throughout an entire week. Jane Rizzoli had it bad.

Maura wasn't much better and honestly, it surprised her. For someone who spent a majority of her time alone, feeling somewhat disconnected from people, she was surprised by how much she missed her friend. How much she missed being around her; touching her. She missed that connection with another human being. It was scary and exhilarating all at the same time.

xxx

"Thank you for coming with me," Maura says as she unlocks the door to her studio. "I know looking at art isn't really your thing," she says, stepping into her apartment and turning on the two lights by her bed.

Her parents would've bought her any apartment in all of Boston, yet she chose a small studio with an open floor plan, brick walls and beautiful wood floors. It was impeccably neat and so very Maura: Unique, colorful and eclectic. Ironic that the girl who studies death surrounds herself with so much life; daisies on the kitchen table, succulents on the window ledge above her bed, potted plants in every corner; the walls strategically decorated with scientific prints, black and white photographs and her mother's paintings.

To the left of the doorway was the kitchen and dining area, to the right, a door to the bathroom. In the back left corner was an armchair where Maura spent a lot of time reading and next to it, a small desk and office space. And there, in the middle of the back wall was Maura's bed, behind it, a large window draped with curtains.

"No problem, Maur. I actually had a lot of fun," Jane says, taking a seat on the edge of the bed.

"You did?" Maura asks. Hopeful.

"Yeah. I always have a great time with you."

Maura blushes.

"I'm just going to use the restroom and then we can watch a movie?" Maura asks, changing the subject. She steps over to her desk and unplugs her tablet.

"Here," she says, handling the device to Jane, "I finally got Netflix. Pick whatever you'd like."

 _I'm looking at it._ Jane thinks as she watches Maura walk away.

"I'll be right back," she says before disappearing into the bathroom.

Jane aimlessly taps her fingers over the screen, browsing through the endless selection of movies. She thinks she's narrowed it down between two when Maura quietly emerges, walking barefoot over to the bed.

She's discarded the heels she had been wearing, scrubbed her face clean of makeup and Jane doesn't think she's ever seen anything more beautiful.

"The zipper is stuck," Maura says, turning her back to Jane. "Can you help me, please?" She asks over her shoulder.

"Um, yeah. 'Course," Jane replies.

_Keep it together, Rizzoli._

Jane manages to unzip the dress without pouncing on her friend and she doesn't say anything when she hears a quiet gasp escape Maura's lips as her fingers graze her bare back.

Flustered, Maura turns around to look at Jane who had returned to her spot on the bed.

"Thank you," she says quietly. "Have you found something that interests you?" She questions, gesturing to the iPad next to Jane.

"Yeah," Jane answers in a low voice, " _you_."

"Jane," Maura says with a breathy laugh as she tucks her hair behind an ear with one hand while the other holds up the front of her wine colored dress.

"I'm serious," Jane replies, looking up at her friend. "God, you're beautiful."

Maura blushes and looks to the side.

Jane laughs.

"What?" Maura asks, looking at her curiously.

"I… it amazes me that you have that reaction. There's no way I'm the first person who's ever said that to you. Hell, it's not even the first time  _I've_  said it to you.

"No," Maura agrees, "but you're the first person that makes me think it might be true."

They stay, for a moment, just starting at one another. Jane in awe of Maura's humility, Maura in awe of Jane's sincerity.

"Come here," Jane says after a while, reaching out for Maura.

Maura obliges and moves to stand between her legs. She let's Jane hold both of her hands. The front of her dress loosens.

" _Might_  be true?" Jane asks playfully as she rubs her thumbs over pale knuckles.

Maura bites her lip.

"It's  _absolutely_  true, Maur. You are so fucking beautiful," she says, pulling Maura against her until she straddles her lap.

"Jane," Maura breathes out as Jane wraps one arm around her waist, the other slowly glides up Maura's neck before pausing to rest on her cheek.

"Will you let me show you?" Jane whispers. "Let me show you just how beautiful you are."

Maura gasps when she feels lips on her throat.

Jane leans back to look at her, "Ok?"

Maura nods before capturing Jane's mouth in a passionate kiss. It doesn't take long for her tongue to slip past Jane's lips and into her mouth. They both moan at the contact. Kissing has never felt so good.

After the initial eagerness, they slow it down. Long, sensual kisses. Mouths filled, tongues swirling against one another, teeth biting gently on lips. Their breathing is heavy and quick through their noses; small gasps and whimpers as the pressure builds.

Maura has both of her hands in Jane's hair while Jane has one wrapped around her waist, the other slowly starting to explore the exposed skin of Maura's back.

When she feels the rocking of Maura's hips and her fingers beginning to pull at the bottom of her dress shirt, Jane reluctantly leans back, giving the two an inch of space.

"Slow," she whispers out of breath. "This time is supposed to be slow. To explore, remember?" She asks in a playful tone.

"So," Maura says as she leans back to pull her arms out of her dress, letting it bunch at the waist to reveal a dark emerald lace bra, "start exploring," Maura purrs.

"Jesus," Jane breathes out and slides her hands up Maura's thighs, under the fabric of her dress until they rest on her ass.

Maura smirks against Jane's lips and their teeth clink as Jane smiles as well.

"Oh you think you're so smug, huh?" Jane says playfully against Maura's lips. She tightly grips the flesh beneath her hands and in one swift motion manages to lift and flip them until Maura is laying flat on her back in the middle of the bed. Jane hovers over her, smiling.

"Not so fast, miss Maura the explorer," Jane says against Maura's lips. "This is  _my_  exhibition and I've got a lot of ground to cover."

They both laugh into another kiss before Jane sits back, straddling Maura's thighs.

"Oh my god, I'm sorry," she says as she rubs both hands over her face. "That was so bad, even for me."

Still laughing, Maura reaches out for her hands and says, "It's ok. I actually understood that reference!"

"I totally just killed the mood, didn't I?"

"No, definitely not," Maura assures her. "I… I didn't know it could be this fun."

"What?" Jane asks, lacing her fingers with Maura's.

"Sex," Maura replies. "I didn't know sex could be this… silly. It's always been about pleasure."

"Oh, well don't you worry, there will definitely be some of  _that_  too," Jane replies as she leans down for a kiss.

"Well I certainly hope so."

And just like that, the mood shifts from playful to passionate. Maura loves it. Loves how easy the switch is. Loves how comfortable Jane makes her feel. Loves that she can laugh in such an intimate moment.

Jane smirks at her before scooting down the bed until her feet touch the floor. She reaches out to slowly pull off Maura's dress and instead of tossing it to the side, she carefully places it over the edge of the armchair before returning to the foot of the bed. She's just about to crawl back on top of Maura when a voice stops her.

"Wait," Maura says, propping herself up on her elbows.

Jane raises an eyebrow at her.

"If you're going to be exploring," Maura says in an amused tone, "at least let me feel you doing it." She pauses as she watches Jane's face, clearly not understanding. She helps her out, "take off your clothes."

"So bossy," Jane replies with a grin, but happily grants Maura's demand.

She unhooks her belt and lets her pants drop to floor, kicking them aside. She then begins to undo the buttons of her shirt, trying her best to be sexy about it.

She fails.

When she reaches the last button, it gets stuck and she's forced to break eye contact with Maura so she can look down and figure out the problem.

"Oh come on," she says in frustration, "Seriously?"

Maura giggles.

"Not funny, Maur! I'm trying to be sexy here," she huffs and shrugs out of her top to reveal her basic white Calvin Klein sports bra and underwear. She stands there with her hands on her hips.

"Oh, trust me Jane. You don't need to try, you just  _are_ ," Maura replies, her eyes taking in the gorgeous sight of Jane's body. Toned, tanned… beautiful.

Jane grins and crawls on top her.

"I'm serious, Jane," Maura says as she trails her fingertips down Jane's abdomen, "your body is exquisite."

"So are you," Jane whispers as she lowers her body on top of Maura, both of them gasping at the feel of their bodies touching for the first time. Well, the first time with so little clothing.

The exploring begins.

Jane starts with a kiss, letting her lips wander to the corner of Maura's mouth, to her chin, her cheek and below her ear before continuing to travel down her neck. She pauses to lick and suck at the sensitive flesh of Maura's throat before resuming her descent.

Maura's chest rises and falls quickly.

"So many freckles," she whispers against Maura's skin as her lips graze her chest. She lets herself fall to one side, propping herself up on an elbow to look down at her friend.

Maura smiles as Jane's index finger slowly trails across her skin, like she's mapping her freckles. She loves this sweet side of Jane, a side she is quickly realizing that not many other people get to see.

Jane's finger travels lower, stopping to circle around Maura's bellybutton. Maura shivers and Jane kisses her neck.

"Jane," she sighs and reaches down to grab Jane's hand in her own and guides them up to her breast. She squeezes gently. "Touch me," she breathes and removes her hands, letting Jane take over from there.

"Fuck," Jane replies and moves once again to straddle Maura's thighs. Maura gasps when both of Jane's hands roughly palm her cleavage, causing her back to arch, allowing Jane's hands to slip underneath and…

"What the?" Jane mutters under her breath.

"Front," Maura gets out, "Front clasp."

"Of course it is," Jane says and moves her hands. They both laugh.

They make eye contact before Jane unhooks the bra and tosses it to the side. For a moment, she forgets how to breathe. How to speak. How to move. She stares unabashedly at Maura's chest.

"How," she manages to get out after a while, "are you so perfect?" Jane asks as her hands trail up Maura's torso until they gently cup the undersides of her breasts.

"I'm far from perfect, Jane," Maura replies, her chest beating rapidly.

"Yeah, well you're pretty damn perfect to me," she says before bringing her hands up to slowly circle her index fingers around the dark pink skin, watching in awe as two buds form.

Maura is both aroused and enamored by Jane's curiosity, but she can no longer take the light touches. "You can touch them, you know," she encourages.

"Oh I know," Jane says smugly before roughly palming the mounds of flesh. She leans in to kiss Maura's lips and slowly kisses her way down Maura's neck before capturing Maura's right breast in her mouth.

Maura whimpers and threads her fingers through Jane's hair, keeping her close as Jane sucks and nips and soothes with a swirling of her tongue; encouraged (and so fucking turned on) by the sounds coming out of Maura's mouth.

"Jane," Maura pants, "I...I need you...please."

Music to Jane's ears.

Jane leans in for one more kiss before sliding down Maura's body, placing a kiss on each hip bone. She looks up at Maura for silent permission. Maura nods and Jane hooks her fingers in the lace and slowly pulls it down her legs, flinging the garment across the room.

"Beautiful," escapes the brunette's lips as she sits back on top of Maura's thighs. She looks down at her friend, completely exposed, and notices the little twitch in Maura's hand. She's nervous.

"It's ok," Jane whispers and squeezes Maura's hand. "It's just me," she says with a smile.

Maura smiles back, but Jane can still sense the nerves. So, in one swift move, she lifts her sports bra over her head and climbs off the bed to discard her underwear as well.

"Better?" She asks.

Maura nods and bites her lip.

"Good," Jane replies and kneels on the floor at the end of the bed, tugging gently on Maura's legs until her bottom reaches the edge.

"What are you..." Maura asks, sitting up on her elbows when Jane's lips touch her thighs, slowly working their way up. "I've never…," she sighs as Jane's mouth gets closer, "No one's ever…"

Jane pulls back to look at Maura, "Wait, what?" she asks in shock. "No one's ever gone down on you?"

"No," she says quietly, "I've only ever-"

Jane cuts her off with a sigh of frustration, "Ugh, men."

Maura does her best to suppress a laugh.

"Can I be your first?" Jane asks as she hooks her right arm under one of Maura's legs, securing a hand on her hip.

Maura nods.

With her free hand, Jane reaches out to grab to Maura's right, interlacing their fingers.

"Just relax," she says with a squeeze, "and tell me stop if you feel uncomfortable, alright?" She asks before kissing the skin just below Maura's bellybutton.

"Alright," Maura says.

Jane continues her kisses downward until her lips meet Maura's center.

Maura gasps at the contact, her hand squeezes Janes and she drops her elbows to lay flat on her back.

Encouraged, Jane smiles against the wetness before running her tongue along Maura's folds. Exploring.

As Jane continues, Maura feels herself falling. She's breathing heavily and whimpering with each swipe of the tongue. When Jane switches from licking to sucking, the heel of her foot digs into Jane's shoulder and her free hand entangles itself in dark curls.

Jane smirks as she feels the hand in her hair, scraping gently at her scalp. She glances her eyes upward to watch Maura's back arch, her mouth open, her chest rise and fall. What a view.

"Jane," she sighs, "Oh my god…"

Jane moves to latch her mouth onto the bundle of nerves, she sucks gently and the hips beneath her jut forward.

Maura moans.

Jane is just about to slip in a finger when Maura's voice stops her.

"Jane, wait," she says through labored breath, "I need… I want you up here," she says pulling gently on their intertwined hands. "I want to feel you. See you," she pants.

How can Jane say no to that? She places one more kiss on Maura's lips before getting up off the floor and helping scoot Maura back to the middle of the bed.

"I'm sorry," Maura says quietly as Jane hovers above her on all fours.

"What?" Jane asks with confusion clearly etched on her face.

"I...I don't want you to think I didn't enjoy what you were doing, because… wow… that was…wow. I just wanted you closer to me," she admits as she reaches one hand up to tuck Jane's hair behind her ear.

"You don't need to apologize for that, Maur. Besides, I could tell how much you were enjoying it," she says with a smirk before leaning in close. Maura pinches her stomach playfully.

"Can I kiss you, or-"

She gets her answer as Maura pulls her down by the neck. She moans in Jane's mouth at the taste.

"That doesn't mean I want you to stop exploring," she says between kisses.

"You're gonna have to beg me to stop," Jane replies as she lowers herself onto Maura, both gasping in pleasure as their bodies collide. Warm skin against warm skin.

"Oh Jane," Maura sighs as she feels Jane wet center glide against her thigh. Or maybe it was because of Jane's thigh against  _her_  center. Either way, wow.

Jane latches her mouth onto Maura's neck and starts rocking her hips, grinding against Maura's thigh. She bites down roughly as Maura's hands start to roam. One hand palming her ass, the other massaging her scalp.

"Jane," she sighs.

"Fuck, Maur," Jane replies, placing her hands on either side of Maura's head, pushing herself up for better leverage. She hadn't meant to get so worked up, but the noises Maura was making and the way her hands…  _oh god_. Her hips start to grind more frantically.

Maura watches in fascination as Jane shuts her eyes, her face contorting in concentration. Maura leans up to take one of Jane's breasts in her mouth and Jane hisses. Maura smiles as her teeth bite down gently and her hand finds it's way between her thigh and Jane's center.

"Maura," Jane groans, "no… this is supp-OHmygod-," she grunts as Maura slips two fingers inside her, "-osed to be about you," she gets out as she grinds against Maura's hand.

"Shh," Maura whispers, "We have all night."

"Jesus…" Jane pants as Maura's free hand grips her ass, helping her push harder.

Two more thrusts and a curling of her fingers and…

"... Maura! oh my...fuck,  _fuck_ ," she says as she collapses on top of her friend. "Holy...shit," she pants against Maura's ear.

Maura smiles to herself and slowly slips her hand out and away from Jane, letting it fall limply at her side. Her other travels from Jane's ass to her back to draw shapes with her fingertips.

"That anatomy class is really paying off," Jane says.

Maura laughs, "I told you. I'm an expert when it comes to the human body."

"Yeah well you're an expert at  _making_  it come, too… jesus…. that was..."

"Good?"

"Understatement of the century," Jane replies before pressing her lips to Maura's neck.

"But now it's your turn," she says as she slips a hand between them, her entire body still collapsed against Maura's.

"Jane, it's fine. If you're tired we can jus-," her sentence dies on her lips as Jane enters her.

"Uh-uh," Jane replies with a grin, "Jane Rizzoli is no pillow queen."

"Jane," Maura sighs, her fingers clawing at Jane's back.

"So wet," she mumbles against Maura's neck as she pumps her fingers. "You feel so good, Maur."

Maura lets out a moan and juts her hips upward. Jane starts grinding against her, their bodies slick with sweat, sliding against one another, breasts rubbing just right. The weight of Jane on top of her, body moving against her, tongue on her pulse point, fingers inside her, it's too much for Maura to handle. The pressure is too intense.

"Jane, I can't," she breathes out, trembling under Jane's touch.

Jane immediately stops her actions and stills her fingers.

"What?" she asks, her voice full of concern. She props herself up on an elbow.

Maura is on the verge of tears as she looks at her, "It's too much. I feel...I feel too much… it's too much. I feel like I'm about to lose control," she says as a tear escapes.

"Oh, Maur," Jane says gently and kisses away the tear, "that's what it's supposed to feel like."

"I…"

"It's ok, Maur," Jane assures her and slowly resumes her actions, "just look at me, alright? Just you and me," she says with a smile and rolls her hips. "You can lose control with me. I'm right here." A sigh of pleasure escapes Maura's lips as she starts to relax.

"That's it," Jane whispers and kisses her friend. She feels her walls starting to pulse around her fingers, "Let go, Maur."

"Oh god… Jane..." she says between quick, gasping breaths.

With a curling of her fingers and a kiss to the corner of Maura's mouth, Jane whispers, "Come for me, Maur."

And she does. And it's the most beautiful (and sexiest) thing Jane's ever witnessed in all her life. She watches as Maura's face reacts to the pleasure, her lips in a perfect "O," damp hair clinging to the sides of her face. When she opens her eyes to look at her, Jane melts.

"So beautiful," Jane says in a barely audible voice.

Maura bursts into tears.

"Maur?" Jane asks in a worried tone. She gently removes her hand from between them and moves to lay next to her friend, giving her space if that's what she needs. "Did I… did I hurt you?"

Maura shakes her head from side to side as more tears escape her eyes.

"What's wrong, honey?" Jane asks, reaching out for Maura's hand.

"No one's ever… I've never...  _felt_  so much," she gets out between sobs. "No one has ever made me feel this way before."

"Oh, Maur," she says sweetly and pulls at her friend until they're in a warm embrace. Her arm wraps around Maura's waist, holding her close as she kisses the top of her head. "I feel it, too," she whispers.

"I don't want to lose you," Maura cries against Jane's neck.

"You won't, Maur. I'm not going anywhere."

xxx

The next morning, Jane wakes up to the smell of coffee. She's confused by this as it's not even 8am on a Saturday. She's even more confused when she tilts her head to the side to see Maura curled up next to her, sound asleep.

"Automatic timer," Maura mumbles.

"How did you…"

"Genius, remember?"

"Modest, too," Jane responds playfully and they both laugh.

Maura slowly opens her eyes to see Jane laying next to her.

"Hi," Jane whispers as they make eye contact.

"Hi," Maura repeats with a smile.

They take a moment to stare at one another, something they're really getting good at.

After a while Jane reaches out to grab Maura's hand, "You wanna talk about last night?" she asks gently.

"I… yes," Maura replies, "but first, coffee," she says with a grin and scoots to the edge of the bed and reaches for something on the floor.

Jane props herself up on an elbow to get a better look at Maura's bare back. Maura grins at her over her shoulder as she slips on Jane's button up shirt.

"So fucking sexy" Jane murmurs under her breath as she watches Maura walk into the kitchen.

"I heard that."

"Good."

Maura rolls her eyes as she makes her way back with two mugs in her hands. She hands them both to Jane so she can slip back under the covers.

"Thank you," Maura says when Jane hands her a mug and they both slump back against the headboard.

"So. How do you feel?" Jane asks as she takes a sip of the hot coffee.

Maura takes a sip of her own before responding, "Jane, I'm sorry. I don't know why I got so emotional, I just… last night was so wonderful and you were so attentive and tender and sweet and... it scared me."

"Scared you?" Jane asks, tilting her to make eye contact.

"I've never felt like this before," Maura admits, "But I've also never had a friend like you and it scares me that if we… if we start dating, I'm afraid that if it doesn't work out, I'll lose you. I don't know if I could survive that," Maura's, her voice full of emotion.

"So you're saying you want to date me," Jane asks with a smirk.

"Jane! I'm being serious," Maura says as she pokes Jane's stomach.

"I know, I'm just teasing. Look," she says as she moves to set her mug down on the window ledge behind them. She takes Maura's and does the same before turning to look at Maura and cup her face with her hands, "You're my best friend, Maur and I love you. I love you as my friend and I'm almost positive I'm starting to love you as something more and that's... that's absolutely terrifying, but I don't care. I want to be with you. I want you to be my girlfriend. I want to keep kissing you and doing... _stuff…_  with you and continue to do all the things we already do as friends," she pauses to swipe her thumbs across Maura's teary cheeks, "and if we don't make it as girlfriends, but god I hope we do, I'd still want to be your friend. I don't ever want to lose that. Ok?"

Maura nods.

"I'm going to kiss you now, even though we haven't brushed our teeth," Jane says as they both laugh into the kiss.

"Thank you, Jane," she says between kisses, "I love you, too."

Maura pulls back to look at her friend, "And I would love to be your girlfriend."

xxx

A few hours later, the two are still in bed. Cuddling, of course. Maura rolls over so she's on top of Jane and says, "I forgot to tell you something."

"Oh?" Jane asks, her hands sliding up to rest on Maura's back.

Maura nods. "My parents offered to buy me a gift to celebrate my achievements for the past semester."

"Of course they did," Jane says with a roll of the eyes.

Maura narrows her eyes at her before continuing, "I usually decline their offers because I don't believe it's necessary and, honestly, I can never think of anything to ask for. But I've thought of something this time."

"You have me, what more could you possibly ask for?" Jane says with a grin.

"Ha. Ha. Ha."

"Ok seriously, what did you ask for?"

"A pickup truck."


End file.
